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Best known for creating the HBO sketch series Mr. Show, playing criminal lawyer Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad, and writing the famous “Matt Foley” sketch on SNL, Bob Odenkirk is a comedy legend. He took some time out from his busy tour schedule to chat with Jimmy about his many new projects, including his new book, […]

It doesn’t matter if you are an improv newbie or a seasoned veteran, when it comes to long form, the same rule applies – You have to have good scene work before using a fancy form. I have said it before and I will say it again, good scene work trumps form every time. People […]

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Jack Newell is a writer/producer/actor/director. He is the head of the brand new TV, Film and Digital Department at The Second City Training Center in Chicago. He’s a comedy director who uses improvisation in his videos and his two feature length films: Close Quarters and Open Tables. He talks about directing using improvisation, how he […]

Thanksgiving is a hard holiday. You can feel like this whole gratitude thing is being shoved down your throat. And what if you have nothing to be grateful for? Maybe you aren't as far as you would like to be in your career or you think people you started out with are passing you by. […]

Stephanie McCullough Vleck, a musical improv virtuoso, has been scoring improv shows since 1997, has been on the Second City faculty since 2002, and recently founded MCL (Musical Comedy Live) in Chicago. Listen as Stephanie talks about her mother's depression, her interactions with Wayne Brady, and helping Jimmy overcome his fear/judgement of musical improv. Plus, […]

In the world of improv, we all, including myself, struggle with showing up on time. Improvisers are not known for their punctuality or their professionalism. I can’t tell you how many times students have run into class late, or how many times I’ve barely made it to a theater before I was supposed to go […]

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Michael Delaney has been a member of the UCB since 1998, where he teaches improv and sketch writing. He’s been part of legendary teams like “The Swarm” and “Stepfathers.” We talked to him about why he thinks so many talented people have come out of the UCB, what the game of the scene means to […]

Does this sound familiar? You have just finished a class or an improv show, and before you can even enjoy what you've done, a panicked thought sets in: “What I am going to next?” I see this a lot, especially with students who finish taking my Advanced Art of Slow Comedy improv class. After studying with me for three […]

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Chris Redd is a comedy triple threat: a hilarious stand-up, a great improviser, and a former member of Second City’s e.t.c. cast. In this episode, he talks with Jimmy about the difference between preforming on the Southside and the Northside of Chicago, how comedy taught him to dig deep into himself, and how he changed […]

If you’re an improviser, you have probably thought about quitting hundreds of times. And that questioning probably won't stop any time soon. As fun as improv is, it can be pretty shitty at times. You are dealing with egos, jealousy and lots of disappointment. You are reliving high school. And some of us would rather […]